The Neal Morse Band - singer/guitarist/keyboardist Neal Morse, drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Randy George, keyboardist Bill Hubauer and guitarist Eric Gillette - are gearing up for the release of their new album The Similitude Of A Dream. Portnoy issued the following update:
"Coming this Friday! Another world premiere video from the Neal Morse Band's The Similitude Of A Dream (out on 11/11). In fact, we will have new music videos for you every Friday up until the album's release! Stay tuned...."
Check out the official video for "So Far Gone" below.
The Neal Morse Band are also preparing to kick off their North American tour schedule in support of the new album. According to an update from Portnoy while answering a fan question via Facebook, "we will be performing The Similitude Of A Dreamentirely in its entirety as well as other material from the NM/NMB catalog."
Tracklisting:
Disc 1
“Long Day”
“Overture”
“The Dream”
“City Of Destruction”
“We Have Got To Go”
“Makes No Sense”
“Draw The Line”
“The Slough”
“Back To The City”
“The Ways Of A Fool”
“So Far Gone”
“Breath Of Angels”
Disc 2
“Slave To Your Mind”
“Shortcut To Salvation”
“The Man In The Iron Cage”
“The Road Called Home”
“Sloth”
“Freedom Song”
“I'm Running”
“The Mask”
“Confrontation”
“The Battle”
“Broken Sky/Long Day Reprise”
The band recently released the video for “City of Destruction” from their highly anticipated The Similitude Of A Dream album, which is due out November 11th on Radiant Records. This will be the eighth studio album with Morse, Portnoy and George, and the second as a true collaboration with this current lineup. You can check out the video below.
The journey of Neal Morse has seen three decades of musical accomplishments, the latest being the inception of The Neal Morse Band. Morse has forged many relationships over the years with his other bands, Spock’s Beard, Flying Colors, and Transatlantic. However, the most compelling and fruitful efforts have been those with drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Twisted Sister, ex-Dream Theater).
Now the current lineup of The Neal Morse Band - Morse, Portnoy, bassist Randy George, keyboardist Bill Hubauer and guitarist Eric Gillette - brings forth The Similitude Of A Dream, a concept album to be released November 11th on Radiant Records via Metal Blade Records/SONY. Pre-orders for The Similitude Of A Dream are live at Radiant Records’ website.
This will be the eighth studio album with Morse, Portnoy and George, and the second as a true collaboration with this current lineup. A lyric video for the song, “Overture” is streaming below.
Clocking in at over 100 minutes, this amazing piece of prog storytelling will leave you breathless, exhilarated, amused and fulfilled in a way that only inspired music can. It will be available in various formats: a two CD package, a Special Edition with the two CDs and The Making Of A Dream DVD, or as three vinyl records along with two CDs.
Together, Morse and Portnoy have launched four bands, but the one that has endured the longest and thus with the most musical output has been The Neal Morse Band. Over the years, Morse, along with Portnoy and George, always assembled musicians as needed to support Neal’s solo music. In 2012, they held auditions to find the musicians needed to fill out the band as a permanent lineup that would write music collectively. Hubauer and Gillette joined the band after three days of auditions. The fivesome went on to release The Grand Experiment in 2014 followed by the Alive Again live DVD/2 CD package in 2015.
As Neal Morse explains, “The Similitude Of A Dream is loosely and sometimes directly based on the book, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. The book’s original title was The Pilgrim’s Progress from this world to the that which is to come, delivered under The Similitude Of A Dream, and it was originally published in 1678. The book chronicles the spiritual journey of a man from the City of Destruction to the place of Deliverance. Someone had suggested to me that I do a concept album based on this book, but I kind of forgot about it. Then when I began writing new songs last December, the suggestion came to my mind. I had never read the book, so I Googled the SparkNotes story outline and began to write some little song bits and instrumentals based on what I had read. Those bits combined with the ideas that the other guys brought to the table then miraculously exploded into this double concept album. Funny thing is, this album only really covers about the first 75 or 80 pages. Maybe we should've made a five disc collection! Well, we'll save that for later. Ha.”
He continues, “At the conclusion of the grueling recording sessions, I remember Mike saying rather prophetically, ‘Boys, I think we just made the album of our careers.’”
"I honestly think this is THE album of my career,” declares Portnoy. “Neal and I have now made 18 studio albums together, and I consider The Similitude Of A Dream the absolute creative pinnacle of our collaborations together. I've always had a soft spot for double concept albums such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy, and I can bravely say that I think we've created an album here that can sit side by side with those masterpieces. Bold words, I know, but after a career of almost 50 albums, I honestly consider this to be one of the defining works of my career.”
“We weren’t sure we had enough music to make a double CD, and yet it seemed as though the concept and the music wanted to go there,” bassist Randy George continues. “Ultimately, we created so much great music in the sessions that it just had to be a double album! To cap that off, we worked with a pre-imminent classic album cover artist to create painted illustrations of our concept which will grace the booklet!”
The Neal Morse Band tours worldwide almost yearly and continues to grow in popularity, attracting new listeners everywhere they go. The band has toured in North America, Central America, Europe, Israel, Mexico and India. The shows are filled with excited and extremely loyal fans, some which have regularly traveled very long distances to see the band. The band has an extensive catalog of live shows on Blu-Ray and DVD as well.
Tour dates:
January
14 - Nashville, TN – venue tba
17 - Seattle, WA – Triple Door
18 - San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
21 - Whittier, CA - Center Theater www.calprog.com
22 - Phoenix, AZ – Nesbitt-Elliott Playhouse Theater
24 - Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
25 - Dallas, TX – Curtain Club
26 - St Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
27 - St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
28 - Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
30 - Toronto, ON – Mod Room
31 - Montreal, QC – Club Soda
February
1 - Quebec City, QC - Salle Jean Paul Tardif
2 - New York, NY – Highline Ballroom
3 - Washington DC – State Theater
4 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery
Witch County nefarious frights Devilment – led by vehement frontman Dani Filth, will release their forthcoming masterpiece Devilment II: The Mephisto Waltzes on November 18th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Today, the band have released the first official music video for “Hitchcock Blonde”, streaming below.
The video was directed by Sam Scott Hunter with a skeleton crew of academic students, with thanks to Film Suffolk. It features actress Leanne Joyce as the Hitchcock Blonde, who has appeared on Britain's Next Top Model, Call The Midwife and The Royals to name a few.
Dani comments: "This is all about the legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock's infatuation with his on-screen heroines; cool, controlled, aloof and sophisticated blondes. The song even name-checks ten of his favourite actresses. As ever there is a psychotic bend to the lyrics and the accompanying video, which was shot in a derelict, haunted hotel in the middle of Ipswich (the band’s home town) where Lord Nelson was said to have stayed on numerable occasions. The various hideous frights throughout the video were past denizens of the hotel captured on camera."
Dani had this to say on the subject of the new record: “Everybody in Devilment is very excited about the prospect of releasing our latest album, II - The Mephisto Waltzes, which we have worked extremely hard on. The album is definitely a step-up from our debut, featuring a more mature, dissonant presence coupled with a darker edge, yet at the same time utilizing our better musical assets to deliver a unique metal hybrid. I don't even know what to classify it!”
Dani’s crew have meticulously pieced together a second blood-spattered batch of deranged anthems that brings vastly more color, intensity and lyrical versatility to this band’s spectral palate. The second Devilmenet record makes no splintered bones about its nefarious intent, offering a bewildering torrent of disparate and demented ideas and delivering them with refined, ultra-gothic panache and several jolting doses of Dani’s trademark verbal subterfuge. Assisted by long-time collaborators Lauren Francis (keys and vocals), Colin Parks (guitar), Nick Johnson (bass) and new drummer Matt Alston, Dani has arrived at the telling moment where Devilment become a genuine force to be reckoned with.
Regarding the album’s artwork, Dani revealed: “Winner of many international awards, the artist for the new Devilment album is Elena Vizerskayaaka Kassandra, whose photography and photo-manipulation perfectly complements the mysterious and magical world of Devilment. Elena's work is sometimes compared to Dali and Magritte due to the complexity of artistic figures and the perceptible amount of layers, something to be felt and not necessarily understood, exotic dreams filled with reflections and allusion. I have been a fan of Elena's work for a long while now and had originally wanted to utilize it for the Cradle Of Filth album, The Manticore And Other Horrors as far back as 2011, which only fell through when band politics intervened and an in-house label artist was used instead.”
“In conjunction with Elena, the booklet was compiled and further augmented with illustration by Dan Goldsworthy, who has also undertaken album artwork for the likes of Accept, Hell, and Sylosis, amongst others. His contribution to the album has provided it with a minimalist dark uniformity, punctuated by slick and classically macabre imagery, the perfect balance to Elena's gorgeously vibrant photography.”
The album was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered at Grindstone Studios by close friend and long term collaborator Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Behemoth, Savage Messiah), between March and July of this year.
Dani added: “Scott has worked very closely with the band to share our vision and we are very proud of the finished result, especially the megalithic production values and the hammered-home emphasis on song writing.”
Tracklisting:
“JudasStein”
“Hitchcock Blonde”
“Under The Thunder”
“Full Dark, No Stars”
“Shine On Sophie Moone”
“Life Is What You Keep From The Reaper”
“Dea Della Morte”
“Entangled In Our Pride”
“Hell At My Back”
“The Seductive Poison” (bonus track)
“Father Dali” (bonus track)
"Hitchcock Blonde" video:
Trailer #1:
“Under The Thunder” lyric video:
Devilment recently announced an extensive UK tour which will commence this December. The run will kick off on December 6th in Colchester, taking the band through 11 UK cities - before wrapping up at eminent Southampton venue, the Engine Rooms on December 19th.
French retro-influenced metallers, BlackRain, released their full-length UDR Music offering, Released, earlier this year. Today, BlackRain is revealing an animal activism music video for the album track "Run Tiger Run", which voices the band's concerns about the poaching industry and animal rights as a whole.
Joining them in the music video is famed French comedian Remi Gaillard, who rose to superstardom as a viral YouTube personality (nearly six million subscribers). Also an outspoken animal activist, Gaillard portrays a tiger being hunted in the woods, running for his life. He is eventually rescued by fellow guest star Gilles Lartigot.
Bassist Matthieu De La Roche states, "The idea behind this video was to collaborate with Remi Gaillard and Gilles Lartigot as we've recently discovered we share the same concerns in animal welfare. It was great fun to create a video that sees the mutual collaboration of an internet sensation, a writer and musicians. Activists have much more to tell about the subject and possibly in a much better way we could ever do. We just wanted to express in our own way our feelings about the drama that appears every day in this world: 150,000,000,000 animals are killed just for food each year. Can you imagine that?"
The "Run Tiger Run" video was directed by Enguerran Prieu and based on an original idea from De La Roche.
Formed during 2006 in the French Alps and with four self-produced albums under their belts (not to mention numerous gigs in France, Europe and Japan) BlackRain know for a fact that 2016 is undoubtedly the most important year of their career to date. Free from past commitments, they now feel it's time to "escape" to new horizons.
While remaining faithful to their roots and influences, BlackRain are a band in a state of perpetual evolution: never ceasing in their quest to climb each and every step of the long Rock 'n' Roll stairway. Their latest album Released is proof that the journey is well and truly under way, and the meticulous craft work behind Released reflects the stamina and capacity of BlackRain to create something never really achieved by a rock act from France.
Released was recorded at Spitfire Studios in the Hollywood Hills with Aerosmith sound engineer Warren Huart and producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, The New York Dolls, John Lennon).
Monte Pittman has release a video for “Guilty Pleasures”, a track from his fourth full-length, Inverted Grasp Of Balance, out now. Head here, where the album can be ordered in various formats.
The new video was filmed on location at Beauty & Essex in Las Vegas, NV stars Leanna Decker, model and Playboy's cybergirl of the year 2012. The video was directed by Vince Edwards.
To assert that Pittman has had a storied career is something of an understatement. His resume includes an ongoing and fruitful collaboration with multi-platinum selling artist Madonna, having recorded and toured with her extensively over a period of more than fifteen years. Then there's his first band, Myra Mains, his stint in the metallic behemoth that is Prong, and collaborations with a broad spectrum of international artists. If his time with Prong did not fully communicate just how much metal flowed through his veins, with 2014's Flemming Rasmussen-produced The Power Of Three - his first release with Metal Blade Records - he compellingly blended killer riffs, blistering leads and gigantic hooks to deliver an album that was equal parts anthemic grandeur and in-your-face attitude, making metalheads around the world sit up and take note.
Now, for his latest offering, Inverted Grasp Of Balance, Pittman teamed up with powerhouse drummer Richard Christy of Charred Walls Of The Damned/Iced Earth/Death fame and virtuoso bassist Billy Sheehan, famous for his work with a plethora of talented artists - including David Lee Roth, Mr. Big and, more recently, Winery Dogs - the skill of all concerned explodes from the speakers. With such passionate professionals and Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther) handling production duties, the record came together quickly and smoothly. This really is the proverbial "whole package": an album that has been lovingly crafted in all aspects, that Pittman hopes reaches as many ears as possible.
"I had a true vision for this record from the start, and I couldn't imagine a better team to help me realize it," Pittman comments. "We're going to make some real noise with 'Inverted Grasp Of Balance' - so get ready!"
Inverted Grasp Of Balance tracklisting:
“Panic Attack”
“Arisen In Broad Daylight”
“Guilty Pleasure”
“The Times Are Changing”
“Double Edged Sword”
“Cadabra”
“Pride Comes Before The Fall”
“California”
“Be Very Afraid”
“Obliterated”
“Skeleton Key”
“New Blood Keeps Us Alive”
Southern Ohio thrash quintet, Feverwar, has released a music video for their politically driven track "Bullshit”. The stand alone single from the filth rockers is their first release since their EP Bible & Sword.
"With this song, our idea behind putting it out was little different this time," says vocalist Nicholous Thomas. "We're not worried about writing a catchy melody, or hopefully 'charting' or something silly. We just wanted to write a quick and angry jam based on how we feel about the world and it's current state. That's nothing new, nothing original, but it's something we wanted to express. The current state of politics are a joke, amongst many other things. So I felt the need to yell about it, tell em' to fuck off and call out the bullshit for the moment."
Dark Essence Records will release Vidsyn, the second full-length album from Norway’s Slegest, on November 4th. The band have revealed a video for the opening track from the album, “I Fortida Sitt Lys”, which can be seen below.
Founder and frontman Ese, who assures us that the video is "best enjoyed loud", gives us an insight into the track: ““I Fortida Sitt Lys” is the opening track of Vidsyn and is somewhat of a punk number, or at least the closest you'll get to it in the cold vein of Slegest, since groove and heaviness are the centre of it all. We think the vibe, the visuals, and the atmosphere of both the location for the shoot and the finished video complements the music and the feel not just of this song, but of the whole album.
“The concept behind the video was the brainchild of Håvard Nesbø, who also produced the video, on a budget, it has to be said, based on pure idealism and a case of home brewed lager. Filming took place in a valley in Leikanger, at the site of an old mountain barn that is long-abandoned by time. Like the song itself, the theme of the video can be placed within the context of the past - at the intersection of "the now" and the ever present whiff of olden times.”
Recorded at the Conclave & Earshot and Systrond Studios, Vidsyn was jointly produced by the band's founder and frontman Ese, and Bjørnar E. Nilsen (Vulture Industries, Black Hole Generator), who also mixed the album. Mastering is by Herbrand Larsen (Enslaved). Guesting on the album is Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved).
The cover of Vidsyn once again has its roots in the art of Nikolai Astrup. Design is by Tom Korsvold and drawing is by Lars Hellebø.
Tracklisting:
“I Fortida Sitt Lys”
“Som I Eit Endelikt”
“Du”
“Komfortabelt Nommen Midtvekes”
“Wolf”
“The Reanimator”
“Inn I Uvissao”
“Tenn Den Gamle Varde”
Slegest will hit the road in December of this year, joining Shining's 20th Anniversary tour, which also features Dark Essence label mates Taake, with whom the band has previously toured. The prospect of sharing a stage with Niklas Kvarforth and Hoest, widely acknowledged to be two of the most accomplished and exciting front men in extreme metal, would seem daunting to most bands, but judging from the reviews Slegest has received for its live performances, and from the number of fans the lineup of Ese on vocals and rhythm guitars, Sør (Bäääv, Vonbråten) on lead guitars, Hövard (Bombeklüchter) on bass and Fjøsne on drums, has picked up following those performances, this is a band that is more than able to hold its own against the two titans.
Before the start of the tour Slegest will launch the new album with a show at Krøsset in Oslo, where they will be joined by Alfahanne, and, given the dynamism and sheer entertainment value of the two bands, this will be an evening to remember.
Berlin, Germany-based rockers, Kamikaze Kings, have released a music video for “Dirty Girl”, a track from their current album, Royal Renegades. Watch below:
Kamikaze Kings have been on their Brothers In Rock ’N’ Roll tour since March. Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.
Tony Niva, the vocal powerhouse from Lion's Share's fourth album Entrance (2001), will release his new solo effort under the Niva moniker, entitled Atmospherical, on October 28th via Niva Music Group/ AOR Heaven.
Niva’s new video for “Dressed To Kill”, directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, can be seen below.
“I’ve been focusing on my career in the IT business, so I didn't make much music between 1994 and 2011,” says Tony. “But after that second NIVA album, I made two more: Magnitude in 2013 and Incremental IV in 2014. And after that, I thought I might as well release what I recorded in 1995 as the intended follow-up to No Capitulation: Relievin' Rain (2015). Now, however, I'm back with a whole new incarnation of NIVA. On this new album, I wanted to broaden my horizons. Different production, a heavier sound. So I've been working with Lars Chriss, my old pal from the Lion's Share days.”
“This is more of a melodic metal sound,”Tony adds. “It rocks harder, it's more riff-based and the keyboards are less prominent.”
Atmospherical tracklisting:
“Dressed To Kill”
“Déjà Vu”
“Spirit Of The Night”
“Forbidden Lover”
“I’m On A Roll”
“Evil Rose”
‘Raise Your Voice”
“The Mountain”
“Play Our Songs”
“Wall Of Bricks”
“Long Road To Hell & Back” (bonus track - Marquee/Avalon in Japan)
Brussels, Belgium-based neo-classical power metal band, Iron Mask, have released a video for the track “I Don’t Forget, I Don’t Forgive”, featured on their new album, Diabolica, released back in September via AFM Records. Watch the new clip below.
Diabolica tracklisting:
“I Don't Forget, I Don't Forgive”
“Doctor Faust”
“Galileo”
“Oliver Twist”
“March 666”
“All For Metal”
“The Rebellion Of Lucifer”
“The First And The Last”
“Diabolica”
“Ararat”
“Flying Fortress”
“Cursed In The Devil's Mill”
Los Angeles based thrash band, Three Thirteen, featuring Randy Weitzel (In This Moment, Blackfall) have released their horror themed music video for "Brain Damage (Undead)". The track is from the band's upcoming album, Dawn Of The Shred, which is slated for release later this year, and the video was directed by renowned music video director Matt Zane (Zakk Wylde, John 5,).
Says Randy Weitzel: “Two things that shaped and influenced my style beginning when I was younger were thrash metal and horror movies from the eighties. For the ‘Brain Damage’ video, I wanted to capture the humor and campy vibe of movies like Return Of The Living Dead and Evil Dead 2. I came up with the concept to compliment the music, and Matt took my ideas, ran with them, and made it all happen with ease.”
Weitzel adds, “The album Dawn Of The Shred is influenced by my favorite Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax albums. Early thrash was melodic, especially vocally, and I wanted to do something that pays tribute to that era - catchy vocal melody hooks, shredding guitars and songs about zombies and aliens.”
The album is available for pre-order now on Phantom Republic’s website, here.
Hamburg based 5-piece sludge and stoner metal band, High Fighter, has just returned from a quick tour with Elder in October, a busy festival summer with live appearances at such as Summer Breeze Festival, Desertfest Berlin, Up In Smoke and alongside many more shows and tours around Europe in 2016, with their debut album Scars & Crosses, which came out this summer on Svart Records, the band have just released a brand new video for the album track, “Darkest Days”
In the typical High Fighter manner, this new video comes like the previous visual works of the band, in a 100% DIY-production. Fuzzy, dark, lots of headbanging and with a wild soundmix of bluesy stoner riffs, screams you will feel to your bone and some heavy sludge tunes, get on your next trip with High Fighter below.
Mona Miluski, vocalist of the band, explains: “Since we're releasing this video today, exactly two years ago when we unveiled the band to public and released our first EP that day, so many great moments, shows, new friends and experiences followed for us, I see this new video for “Darkest Days” as some cool and trippin summary. Of two more than amazing years of our short and young band history already. Our bassist Constantin again did such great job on the video! He edited it all by himself and it's again a pure do-it-yourself production. We used several live footage from our shows the past two years, and took some behind the scenes from tours and when we've been on the road… It's a very dark track and video but also visually weird, wild and psychedelic on the other hand. But that's what you get with High Fighter and on our album Scars & Crosses in general: It's not an easy-listening record, it's more of a trip, and there's also a lot of pain and beauty happening to the same time. Choosing the track “Darkest Days” for a new video of High Fighter has only been a matter of course, soundwise, we all dig that song, from the lyrics' perspective and its representation of our album vibe, but then this heavy contrast which comes with the visual footage of two awesome years with High Fighter. Seems we love contrasts!“
“Edge Of The Universe”, the new video from FM singer Steve Overland, can be seen below. The track is featured on Overland’s new album ,Contagious, which was released on October 21st via UK label Escape Music Ltd.
Steve Overland has a history that goes way back into the late '70s. His first major recording was with the band Wildlife in 1980. After the demise of Wildlife, Steve went on to form cult British melodic rock band FM, a band that released numerous albums throughout the '80s and '90s, and more recently in 2013.
Steve originally teamed up with Escape Music to provide lead vocals for the Boston Tribute album, singing "Amanda". Steve also joined forces with Steve Morris of Heartland to record the Shadowman albums: Land Of The Living, Different Angles, Ghost In The Mirror, and Watching Over You. Steve has also fronted two releases by The Ladder: Future Miracles, and Sacred.
Contagious tracklisting:
"Doctor My Heart"
"Easy On Me"
"Edge Of The Universe"
"Every Lonely Night"
"Wildest Dreams"
"Intoxicated"
"Define Our Love"
"Pocketful Of Dreams"
"Making Miracles"
"Back Where I Belong"
"Unforgiving World"
"Shame On You" (bonus track)
The official music video for KORN's new song "Take Me" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", which was released on October 21. The follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift" was helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON and RUSH, among others. The CD features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on the song "A Different World".
"The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the band's return to Roadrunner, which previously released 2010's "Korn III - Remember Who You Are" and 2011's "The Path Of Totality".
"The Serenity Of Suffering" track listing:
01. Insane02. Rotting In Vain03. Black Is The Soul04. The Hating05. A Different World (feat. Corey Taylor)06. Take Me07. Everything Falls Apart08. Die Yet Another Night09. When You're Not There10. Next In Line11. Please Come For Me
KORN guitarists James "Munky" Shaffer and Brian "Head" Welch told Live Nation TV in a new interview what they felt singer Jonathan Davis meant by "The Serenity Of Suffering" title. Shaffer said: "The way I see it is it's his take on the record . . . I felt that he was kind of suffering — he was battling inside of himself to get to that creative place that he felt comfortable to start writing for the album, but it made a great record. This time for him, though, it felt a lot more difficult."
Welch added: "I mean, he's not perfect — obviously, none of us are — he's just a sweet guy, and, unfortunately, he lets people hurt him a lot and he lives with it. He feels like normal when he's suffering because he has suffered so much."
Davis has a somewhat different view, telling The Pulse Of Radio that the title reflects a strange comfort he finds in feeling bad. "I feel like sometimes I'm in that place so much, I feel serenity when I'm there," he said. "That's where I feel comfortable, when I'm down. And I think people who have ever battled depression and stuff like that, it's not enjoyable, but that kind of feeling you can relate to."
"Apache Skies", the new video from TRINITY FALLEN, the band featuring former TESTAMENT bassist Greg Christian alongside members of SCORCHED-EARTH POLICY and NUCLEAR RABBIT, can be seen below. The performance footage in the clip was filmed by Bay Area Backstage on October 24 at the Broken Spoke Western Saloon in San Jose, California.
"Apache Skies" is taken from TRINITY FALLEN's debut three-song EP, which was released in August. The effort was recorded with producer Juan Urteaga (TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS) at Trident Studios in Martinez, California.
Says Greg: "[Juan] did a kick-ass job on it and I think it needs to be heard."
EP track listing:
01. 21st Century (5:52)02. Apache Skies (5:42)03. Ashes (5:16)
TRINITY FALLEN made its live debut on August 5 at Slim's in San Francisco, California.
Christian recently stated about his new band: "[I am] a little disappointed my new bandmates' histories have mostly been ignored [by the press] and every mention of TRINITY FALLEN seems to only focus on me.
"It wasn't my cup of tea, but NUCLEAR RABBIT has serious high-level (bad-ass) musicianship. (If you doubt that — listen to 'Intestinal Fortitude' and tell me how easy those songs would be to play, hahaha)
"TRINITY FALLEN is 'a band,' not 'my project,' and though all the songs (so far) started off as my arrangements, they've evolved past anything I could've came up with on my own. Tim, Jason and Judd have made huge contributions to all of it, and together we've crafted a sound that, in my opinion, is unique. Especially in this day and age.
"We're not a thrash band, more like a heavy metal / hard rock band.
"There are no stylistic 'rules' or preconceptions. We never sat down and said, 'Let's write 'this kind' of song.' We wrote what came out.
"And since this isn't straight thrash, I know I'll get some haters, but I think a lot lot more folks will be pleasantly surprised by the variety and depth of the TRINITY FALLEN material. It's all about the songs.
"And don't misunderstand, some of it is brutally heavy but some is really melodic, and it pretty much all grooves and bounces — and is full of hooks. More like a modern-day version of old BLACK SABBATH or LED ZEPPELIN than any contemporary bands I can think of.
"To me, a lot of today's heavy music (at least on recording) is cut, pasted, quantized and sound replaced into sterility. TRINITY FALLEN isn't that. It's modern-day / old-school rock 'n' roll."
He added: "TRINITY FALLEN isn't TESTAMENT. It's its own thing. It's complex and varied and I can see elements of it turning some folks off at first, but with only hearing a short sample, it's kinda like the old story of five blind men went to 'see' an elephant .. (presents a misleading picture) but whatever… Not everyone's gonna get it at first. No way. The rabbit hole's way too deep."
"Bring Me Home", the new video from Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's sixth full-length album, "Mark Of The Blade", which was released on June 24 via Metal Blade Records.
WHITECHAPEL singer Phil Bozeman stated about the "Bring Me Home" clip: "This video means more to me than any video we've ever done. It portrays my struggle through dealing with my dad's death at the age of 10. The shots of me show me at my darkest moments. Suicidal thoughts, suicide note and feeling alone. The atmosphere of the room we shot this is nailed exactly how I was feeling at the time. Dark, depressed and suicidal. The shots of the man and young boy portray my bond I had with my dad and how devastated I was when he left. They are presented to be in a dream-like state of me remembering him. The last shot is from my dad and mom's actual gravesite. It's really awesome to have that authenticity to the video. The final scene is showing that I came out of it alive but no matter what, I will push forward and not give up."
Reunited with producer Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CANNIBAL CORPSE), WHITECHAPEL has redefined who they are and what they are capable of with "Mark Of The Blade". Kicking off with "The Void" — which has a SLAYER-esque ferocity that is perfectly suited to the band's three-guitar attack — the songs that follow all leave a distinct impression, and by the time the rich, dark melodies on "Decennium" bring the record to a close, it's impossible to deny the emotional weight brought to bear. "It's the most dynamic record we've done, in the sense that one song can be very aggressive while the next one will be softer and sentimental," WHITECHAPEL guitarist Alex Wade asserts. "At this point in our career and as we grow older, we are taking a more open-minded approach to creating our music, allowing what we think sounds good to evolve naturally, rather than to just write what is expected of us."
"Mark Of The Blade" track listing:
01. The Void02. Mark Of The Blade03. Elitist Ones04. Bring Me Home05. Tremors06. A Killing Industry07. Tormented08. Brotherhood09. Dwell In The Shadows10. Venomous11. Decennium
WHITECHAPEL is preparing to fly over to Europe to launch the "Impericon Never Say Die! Tour 2016", a three-week-plus run through 13 countries.
Metal group Athanasia have released an official music video for their track "Spoils Of War”, off of their upcoming album, The Order Of The Silver Compass. The music video was directed by Matt Zane and shot in Burbank, California. Check it out below.
"I am beyond excited to unveil Athanasia’s first single "Spoils Of War" and give the public a small taste of what they can expect to hear on our upcoming LP, The Order Of The Silver Compass!” - Caleb Andrew Bingham (Athanasia)
Click here to pre-order The Order Of The Silver Compass.
Balingen, Germany-based prog/power metal act, We Are Legend, have released a new video (see below) for the song “This Holy Dark“, taken from the 2013 debut album, Rise Of The Legend.
Rise Of The Legend tracklisting:
“Hungry Mirrors”
“This Holy Dark”
“Enemy Within”
“Birth Of The Legend”
“Rise Of The Legend”
“God Is Dreaming”
“Out!”
“Only Time Can Tell”
“March Of The Living”
Roth Brock Project have released a video for “Young Gun”, the lead track from their self-titled debut album, scheduled for release on November 4th. The new clip is streaming below.
The Roth Brock Project is the exciting artistic union between guitarist John Roth (Winger, Starship, Giant) and singer Terry Brock (Strangeways, Giant, Leroux). The pair first met in 2009 while working on Giant's Promise Land record. They soon developed a unique songwriting chemistry and musical bond which all these years later has led to their debut release. Powerhouse vocals and thundering guitars are at the forefront of this stellar collaboration from two of rock's most seasoned and underrated veterans.
John Roth landed his first gig at the age of 19, with Southern boogie rock legends Black Oak Arkansas in 1986, and soon found himself in demand for recording and touring with the likes of Jimi Jamison (R.I.P.) of Survivor, and '80s rock legends, Winger. Terry Brock's first job in the music business was as a vocalist on the Kansas album Drastic Measures in 1983, which was soon followed by a tour with the Steve Morse Band and two albums with Strangeways (who were signed to BMG/RCA Records). Terry is currently on tour with Louisiana's Leroux, while John is on tour with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas.
"The Roth Brock Project is the kind of record I've been wanting to make for a long time!” says John Roth. “Guitar-driven high energy rock with stellar vocals is the first thing you'll hear when you put this album on, so get ready to crank it up!”
Roth Brock Project tracklisting:
“Young Gun”
“What's It To Ya”
“Young Again”
“If That's What It Takes”
“I Don’t Know Why”
“Distant Voices”
“We Are”
“Fighter”
“My City”
“Never Givin' Up”
“Reason To Believe”
“Young Gun” video:
“If That's What It Takes”:
“Young Again”:
"We Are":
Lineup:
Terry Brock: Lead and Background Vocals
John Roth: Guitars, Bass, Keys, Lead and Background Vocals
Scott Trammell: Drums, Percussion
"In Orbit", the new video from Swedish metallers EVERGREY, can be seen below. The clip, which features a guest appearance by NIGHTWISH vocalist Floor Jansen, was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.
"In Orbit" is taken from EVERGREY's new album, "The Storm Within", which was released on September 9 via AFM.
"That was actually my wife (Carina Englund) thinking for me," EVERGREY frontman/founder Tom S. Englund says of Jansen's involvement. "Floor is a personal friend and major EVERGREY fan, so it was over a glass of wine between her and my wife, who asked her if she wanted to do the song. 'In Orbit' is a powerhouse of a song and it would be easy to make it the first single, but it's not the first impression we want to make. That said, it would be stupid not to release it as a single, and if we could get Floor to do the video, that would be a home run."
Speaking of Englund's better half Carina, she reprises her ongoing role as EVERGREY's secret weapon on every album since they began, contributing vocals this time out to the song "The Paradox Of The Flame".
While this may come off as music industry lip service in honor of the quintet, anyone who has followed EVERGREY will find it impossible not to become completely enthralled by the music on "The Storm Within" within the space of the first listen. The band's trademark progressive, dark and melancholic elements are as strong as ever, the album ranks as one of the most progressive record they've created in terms of performance, but EVERGREY managed to put it in a package that is more accessible and direct compared to any of their nine previous outings. Englund credits EVERGREY's learning-by-doing over the past two decades for the feel of "The Storm Within", in particular their all-important "Hymns For The Broken" record from 2014, which saw a revitalized EVERGREY lineup return with a new energy.
"We went from having no intention of making an album at all to having all the inspiration in the world on 'Hymns For The Broken'," says Englund. "Honestly, we've never felt better. 'The Storm Within' is a massive album. There are no fillers on it and we've never been about that. I think the inspiration speaks for itself."
EVERGREY's lyrics have always matched the depth and intensity of their music, and the concept behind "The Storm Within" is no exception. Englund considers the storyline behind the lyrics to be one of the biggest concepts EVERGREY has ever tackled, based on something that everyone can relate to; having someone, losing them, and having to pick yourself up and move on. He goes so far as to call it the band's first "love" album, but it's not a subject that should be taken lightly in the EVERGREY universe.
"As usual, the lyrics are based on someone or some event in my life," says Englund. "When we were making this album a lot of these relationship issues were going on around me; people losing a partner or a loved one and grieving. 'The Storm Within' is about a search for identity, trying to make yourself full when you feel half empty, and I placed that storyline in an interstellar world."
Musically, "The Storm Within" plays to EVERGREY's trademark prog metal attack but it's loaded with double-take moments. Lead-off track "Distance" is a surprise lead single (and first video), the melodically and lyrically stunning "Passing Through" is destined to become a fan favourite, "My Allied Ocean" is one of EVERGREY's most aggressive songs to date, and the epic title track makes for the perfect album closer in the tradition of Devin Townsend or RUSH.
Englund is proud to have "The Storm Within" represent EVERGREY's all-important 20th anniversary, although he freely admits he didn't take note of the landmark occasion until the album was well underway.
"I had a goal when I started EVERGREY; I wanted to make 10 albums and that would fulfill my life plan. That's not something I ever thought I would accomplish. It's quite an amazing thing to be a band for 20 years and release albums that aren't sub-par. When I realized we'd done 10 albums in 20 years, it was mind-boggling. I'm proud to say that out of all the albums we've released over the last 20 years, we've never released one that we didn't feel was the best we could do at that time. That goes for every song, every note, everything. That's why we don't do anything half-assed."
"The Storm Within" track listing:
01. Distance02. Passing Trough03. Someday04. Astray05. The Impossible06. My Allied Ocean07. In Orbit (feat. Floor Jansen)08. The Lonely Monarch09. The Paradox Of The Flame10. Disconnect11. The Storm Within
EVERGREY is:
Tom S. Englund - vocals, guitar Henrik Danhage - guitar, backing vocals Rikard Zander - keyboard, backing vocalsJonas Ekdahl - drums Johan Niemann - bass, backing vocals
Swedish metallers ENTOMBED A.D. will embrk on a North American tour in January. Support on the trek will come from FULL OF HELL and TURBID NORTH.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 06 - Boston, MA - Once BallroomJan. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu NecktieJan. 08 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint VitusJan. 09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog ShopJan. 10 - Chicago, IL - ReggiesJan. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple RockJan. 12 - Kansas City, MO - Riot RoomJan. 13 - Denver, CO - The RoxyJan. 14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister BarJan. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Club RedJan. 16 - San Diego, CA - Brick By BrickJan. 17 - West Hollywood, CA - The RoxyJan. 18 - San Francisco, CA - SlimsJan. 19 - Sacramento, CA - Starlite LoungeJan. 20 - Portland, OR - DantesJan. 21 - Seattle, WA - HighlineJan. 22 - Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw
In other news, ENTOMBED A.D. has released the video for the title track of its sophomore album, "Dead Dawn". Guitarist Nico Elgstrand stated about the clip: "Finally a serious video without the usual nonsense often associated with metal these days.
"This one has depth and a very important message that we think is overlooked in today's media climate.
"Anyone with half a brain will stop with whatever they're doing and realize that we must take a stand against these unjust accusations that metal is for stupid people; that's simply not true and this video we think portrayed it beautifully!
"Enjoy this fine release that will leave you enchanted and content that you're a thinking individual with exquisite taste and that ENTOMBED A.D. is telling it like it is, uncensored and amazingly with superior subtlety and finesse!!"
The "Dead Dawn" cover artwork was created by WATAIN frontman Erik Danielsson. The CD production was handled by a team consisting of Tom Van Heesch and Jacob Hellner of Big Island Sound in Stockholm as well as Nico Elgstrand himself, who produced a majority of the tracks whereas Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers mastered this new beast.
In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov stated about the band's decision to release change their name to ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour. I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."
?
The Neal Morse Band![=]](/img/news-bord-shr.gif){kind=small}
Великобритания
Франция
США
Норвегия
Германия
Швеция
Бельгия
Индия
